The Prayer Connection
In
the 19th, 20th, and 21st chapter of Acts, Paul
seems to be making his last round, saying his goodbyes to friends…to churches
he has dedicated his life to.
There’s a lot of friendship in these chapters…friends that have been through
tough times together…friends who have been made one in Christ.
A lot of tears are shed. A
lot of memories are recalled. But
one common theme seems to stand out on this farewell tour.
At each stop, with each church, before Paul leaves, they pray.
Together, they pray.
Acts 20: 36 says “And when he (Paul) had said these things, he knelt down and
prayed with them all.” Again
in Acts 21:5 we read “And when it came about that our days there were ended,
we departed and started on our journey, while all with wives and children,
escorted us until we were out of the city. And
after kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one
another.”
Prayer achieves many things. Prayer
changes things…brings about miracles. Prayer
also connects us spiritually to those we love.
It overcomes the barriers of the world that would separate us.
Prayer dissolves time and distance and brings us into not only the
presence of God, but the presence of those we pray for.
Paul was saying goodbye physically to those he had served so faithfully, but
through prayer their journey together was to continue.
Through prayer, the presence of his friends would remain with him, even
to death. And here’s the good
part, that spiritual unity would overcome death itself and continue into life
after death.
Yes, prayer changes things…but more importantly, prayer changes people…the
one prayed for and the one who prays. It
is an honor to pray for those we do not know, but what a blessing it also is to
pray for those we love...for those who have made a difference in our lives.
Prayer brings others close, and I thank God for the connection to their
soul He gives to us. It is His gift
and it takes us through the restrictions of this world and into all eternity.
Prayer gives our lives a purpose and reminds us that in Christ, there are no goodbyes, only eternal connections to the souls of others through His love and grace.
Thanks be to God!